Europe Trade Data For January Show Surplus For Euro Area While Deficit Narrows In EU

File photo of a huge euro sculpture in front of the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Jan. 1, 2002.
Reuters

The 18-nation euro area saw a trade surplus of 0.9 billion euros ($1.25 billion) in January 2014 compared with a deficit of 5.4 billion euros in the same period in 2013, data from Eurostat showed Tuesday.

In the 28-member European Union, or EU, trade deficit narrowed to 13 billion euros in January 2014, from 17.7 billion euros in January 2013.

In December 2013, the euro area had a trade surplus of 13.8 billion euros, up from 9.7 billion euros in December 2012. The EU, in comparison, had a trade surplus of 8.1 billion euros in December 2013, up from a deficit of 2.4 billion euros in December 2012.